North Rim Grand Canyon to Capitol Reef – Day 1

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Hot Air Balloons over Scottsdale, Arizona

Hmmm, balloons are floating overhead; that must be a signal to get in the car and race to the Grand Canyon. Sounds good to me, and so better late than never we spontaneously pack a bag and start the drive the north.

Navajo Bridge in Arizona over the Colorado River

These are the Navajo Bridges in northern Arizona. The bridge on the right was opened for traffic in 1929, and for many years, it was adequate to serve the purpose of crossing the Colorado River. As time went by, vehicles became wider, and although pedestrian traffic was forbidden on the original bridge, the temptation to stand over the middle of the Colorado and look into the canyon was too appealing. So in 1995, a second, almost identical-looking wider bridge was opened (on the left), and the old one was relegated to being a purely pedestrian bridge.

This is Balanced Rock on the way to Lees Ferry at the northeastern corner of the Grand Canyon National Park.

Caroline Wise standing at the confluence of the Colorado and Paria River at Lee's Ferry in the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Lees Ferry is Mile Marker 0 in the Grand Canyon. It is here that white water rafting trips get underway. Caroline is standing in the confluence of the muddy Paria River where it’s entering the cold green waters of the Colorado right behind her. This is also the first rapid boaters encounter on their journey into the extraordinary world of the Grand Canyon.

North Rim Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The view from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is roughly 1,500 feet above the other side. Funny how it’s “just” 23.9 miles to hike across the canyon and over 200 miles to drive from side to side.

North Rim Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

It’s nearly impossible to see her in the pic but Caroline with her hands in the air standing over the hole in the rock. We were both out there a few earlier trying to grab a selfie from over our heads so I could show you how narrow the rock is that she’s standing on, but that didn’t work out.

Fredonia, Arizona

Had to stop and teach Caroline about Fredonia, not this one in Arizona, as much as the fictional Freedonia referred to by the Marx Brothers in their 1933 movie titled Duck Soup. My introduction begins with the song “Hail Hail Freedonia,” followed by a bunch of mumbling to the tune that rings in my head nearly 30 years after I first saw this movie.

Thunderbird Restaurant in Carmel, Utah

Well, this was unexpected to find in the state of Utah and begs the question, “Just who are the hos that make these pies, and are they Mormon?” Should you think you, too, would like to try some Ho-Made Pies, you’ll find them in Mount Carmel Junction, where the road turns off to Zion National Park.

We made it another 160 miles past this to Torrey, Utah, to spend the night at Austin’s Chuckwagon Motel.

Mount Rushmore Trip – Day 4

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Toto, we’re not in Nebraska anymore. That’s right dude, we’re in Colorado racing towards home.

But don’t think for one minute that the sightseeing is done yet. That’s the mighty Colorado River behind us, although, at this juncture in its travels, it’s not all that enormous. By the time it roars through the Grand Canyon, though, it can get out of control, but then further south in Mexico, they are lucky to see a few tablespoons of water a day trickle into their side of the bargain.

Well, the views of mountains, trees, some desert, and a big green river from here just suck. Btw, I am that person who struggles to not beep the horn all the way through the tunnel.

Caroline Wise and John Wise at the Colorado National Monument in Colorado

And BLAM! The tunnel teleported us right here to the Colorado National Monument, not really but that sounded a lot more interesting than we left Interstate 70 near Grand Junction, Colorado, to add another notch to the belt of collected National Parks and Monuments.

Colorado National Monument in Colorado

Into the sandstone as we travel back in geological time.

Colorado National Monument in Colorado

Here’s a modern-day public works project for America: build standalone bike paths through our national parks that are well away from the streets cars use. And while you’re at it build a transcontinental bike path with solar-warmed paths to automatically clear snow and ice so that on days it’s not freezing cold, people can still ride along. Of course, then we’d have to give people enough vacation time to go out and slowly explore their country, so the chances of this happening are about as great as America electing its first black president.

Is it just me, or does this river look bigger?

If we’re in canyons, we must be back in Utah or Arizona. Hmmm, this looks like Utah to me.

Somewhere between the Colorado/Utah state line and Moab.

Can you guess which nearby river is used to irrigate this lush green field?

Now south of Moab and having just passed the World-Famous Hole N” The Rock (which we have to come back to someday), we are well on our way to Arizona.

Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah

But first, we’re going to make another stop because one can never visit enough National Parks and Monuments on one trip, so we’re dropping in on Natural Bridges National Monument.

Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah

Like a scene out of Frankenstein, the ravens perched upon the dead tree in front of the gray sky observed us, slowly turning their heads as if to follow us before letting off a squawk warning us there be monsters in these parts. Yeah, this is right there with the teleportation story from earlier.

Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah

What’s the worst thing about digital photography? Taking too many photos and having more than one turn out so good that you want to go crazy and post ten views of the same thing.

Caroline Wise and John Wise at Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah

I know what you are thinking, “Weren’t you nervous that the multi-ton stone bridge over your head might fall right while you were under it?” I wasn’t worried because I went up there and jumped up and down on it about 25 times, and it didn’t break, so I figured if I couldn’t make it fall, why would it happen while we were underneath it? For the record, do not be so gullible as to believe for one moment I would do anything to damage or bring any kind of harm to any feature within 10 miles of one of our natural treasures.

The Mokee Dugway is an exciting dirt road that I can’t wait to drive when it’s wet, and we have bald tires. Seriously, what flipping idiot thought this was a good idea? Truth is, I’m mostly okay with these kinds of roads. Heck, I do drive them as we have today, but my fear that someone else might need me to back up or get close to the outside edge is a butthole-puckering moment I’d prefer to avoid.

This, though, is the payoff for taking some of these out-of-the-way roads.

Monument Valley from Utah

That’s Monument Valley out there, and on the other side of it is Arizona.

Burger King in Kayenta, Arizona

The irony that is lost on these cows is that as they graze on the Burger King grass, they are fattening themselves up to one day end up on the menu. I don’t know of anywhere else in America besides the Navajo reservation where the open range means just that: animals are free to move about anywhere. Here in Kayenta, we have seen donkeys, cows, wild dogs, and horses, just as we’ve seen in many other cities across the reservation. There’s something nice about seeing animals coexisting with us people as we all make way for each other.

California via Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon – Day 1

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This will be one of our crazy endurance road trips where no distance seems too far. For some reason or another, we didn’t leave the night before and shave two or three hours off the driving; instead, we left at 6:30 this morning and raced forward. North was our direction as we passed through Cordes Junction, Flagstaff, Page, and then Kanab in Utah. We breezed through Carmel Junction, looking west with a loving look in our eyes toward Zion National Park, just 15 minutes down the road. Another mile or so later, we pulled over for a roadside picnic in Long Valley, and before long, we were pulling over again, this time for a photo near Duck Lake.

We are driving kind of hard today to cover a lot of miles. This is just west of  Cedar Breaks National Monument.

This is the way into the Great Basin National Park; we are taking a peek at the peak.

Great Basin National Park near Baker, Nevada

Our visit to the Great Basin didn’t work out as it was too late for a quick tour of the Lehman Cave, and the scenic drive was closed due to snow. No big deal, as we’ll just put this one on the list of places to return to; we also learned that this park is home to the Bristlecone pine tree, which can live for thousands of years. We must come back.

There is a general excitement that occurs the first time we drive through a terrain that is new to our eyes.

It forces us to stop and grab a photo so we might better remember why this part of the journey was just as exciting as the other parts.

An amazing shooting star appeared, but obviously, that wasn’t going to be photographed by the time we stopped the car. We pass a sign for a turn-off directing us to the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and while we ignore it this time it is now on the list of places to come back to. By 8:45 p.m. local time or 9:45 Arizona time, we arrived in Jackpot, Nevada, after a grueling 865-mile drive. We’ll stay at the Covered Wagon Motel for only $19.93, including tax, because luxury is for those who need pampering; we need adventure.

Monument Valley

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Panorama of Monument Valley, Arizona

At the drop of a hat, I’ll go anywhere, even if I have just been there recently. Seeing somewhere you have already been to in the Southwest never looks quite the same at different times of the year and under varying skies. Going to Monument Valley has the added benefit of either being able to stop in on Mexican Hat, Utah, for a “swinging steak” dinner or heading over to Bluff, Utah, for a bite at the Cow Canyon Trading Post restaurant, or if I’m really lucky, I might find a Navajo selling mutton stew roadside.

Update: This trip was with Adam Gross, but the blog entry was never completed.

Monument Valley to the Grand Canyon

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Monument Valley, Utah

Everyone should have the opportunity to drive into Monument Valley early in the morning because this place is simply otherworldly.

Monument Valley, Utah

Photos cannot share the scale or sense of being at a place like a visit can. While these quick weekend jaunts might see us effectively speeding through our environment, we are always thinking that it is better to have fleeting moments of these places than to stay at home to see yet another match between some sports teams that have no relationship to our sense of aesthetic reality.

Monument Valley, Utah

There’s a small sense of tragedy here when one thinks about how these monoliths stand above the floor of the valley due to everything that has fallen away and then realizes how, at some point, they will be gone forever. Fortunately, that won’t happen in our lifetimes or for many lifetimes to come.

Monument Valley, Utah

I’ve been near this location before, and I’ll return in the years to come, but never have I seen this rock lit in just this way that it was so easy to see a face.

Lake Powell, Arizona

After a couple of hours in Monument Valley, we drove south towards Kayenta, stopping for lunch at the Golden Sands Cafe (now closed) and then onto Road 98 towards Page and Lake Powell. You might notice that the lake is full!

Chief Yellowhorse Trading Post, Arizona

Because “Nice Indians” are way better to shop with for Indian tchotchkes than angry ones.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

That’s the Little Colorado Canyon out there. It joins the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, which is where we are going.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

We are stopping in the Grand Canyon National Park because we can. It might be a bit out of the way if what we want to do is get home early, but as I said before, we’d rather collect these impressions and know that we’ve used our time to the best of our ability. This is the Desert View Watchtower, designed by Mary Colter and built in 1932.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Needed at least one obligatory scenic view of the Canyon.

Caroline Wise and John Wise at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

And, of course one of us in front of it too. We made it to Hopi House over by the El Tovar Hotel in Grand Canyon Village before pointing the car south for our four-hour drive home. Must have been about midnight when we finally got home, but not bad that we were able to visit Sunset Crater, Wupatki, Navajo National Monument, Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, and the Grand Canyon all in one weekend.

Wupatki to Monument Valley

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Wupatki National Monument, Arizona

We drive north out of Phoenix and, in a couple of hours, are passing Flagstaff. Just a wee bit further north, we turn right towards Sunset Crater National Monument where the road leads us right to Wupatki National Monument. This is not our first visit here; it won’t be our last.

Painted Desert, Arizona

On Highway 160 into the Navajo and Hopi Reservations, the stark landscape has a prehistoric beauty that, while visually appealing, seems difficult to tame for comfortable living.

Elephant's Feet, Arizona

These are the Elephant’s Feet near Tonalea on the Navajo Trail. We are driving northeast.

Navajo National Monument, Arizona

Looking into the Navajo National Monument and making note that we need to schedule a hike to the Betatakin alcove and ruins (pictured), which is a five-mile round trip. Equally as important but more strenuous is the 17-mile round trip hike to Keet Seel that requires a permit. Camping permits for overnight stays in the area are also available.

Monument Valley, Utah

It’s 4:00 p.m. as we leave Kayenta, Arizona, and stop for this photo near milepost 398 on Highway 163. Not making great time, but we love the sights, so we’ll get to our destination when we do, and that will be fine.

Monument Valley, Utah

Monument Valley and some asses come into view as we approach the Utah border here in northern Arizona.

Monument Valley, Utah

Tomorrow, we’ll enter Monument Valley, but it’s getting late for where we are planning to spend the night, so we need to keep going.

Caroline Wise and John Wise in Valley of the Gods, Utah

We are peeking into Valley of the Gods here in Utah before checking into the Mexican Hat Lodge.

Cow Canyon Trading Post in Bluff, Utah

With so much light of the day still available, we opted to drive up to Bluff, Utah. In addition to Navajo rugs, pottery, and jewelry, the Cow Canyon Trading Post has a restaurant that we ate at the year before while my mother-in-law Jutta was visiting us. We stopped in just for the photo today because the last time we were here, I forgot to snap an image for a reminder of exactly where we sat for a perfectly wonderful dinner at a place that surpassed all of our expectations for being so far off the beaten path.

Mexican Hat Inn, Utah

We had to skip dinner at Cow Canyon for the selfish reason that I was not going to miss having steak here at the Mexican Hat Lodge, which is also known as “Home of the Swinging Steak.” Live music, wandering dogs, coyotes howling in the distance, an occasional car passing by, and a lot of stars here in the Valley of Gods are the perfect companions for a night away from it all.